Derby win puts Marlow in the hot seat for promotion

For the men's 3's Bisham Abbey is still a favourite venue, the place where half of the current team started the first team charge to South Prem not so long ago. A welcome venue for a mouthwatering encounter in the promotion battle for MBBO div 4. Not quite a decider but close enough as Wycombe needed to hold 2nd place to balance out Marlow's 2 games in hand in the race to Div 3.

A home fixture for Wycombe, but the visitors started well, early penetration and a short corner deflected in from a Wallsy strike correctly ruled out as the shot was too high. The setback gave Wycombe a chance to get into the game, and as Marlow lost their passing game for a few minutes a break down the right and a superb finish gave Wycombe the early lead.

Time for a fight back, and the response came, Marlow spent a full 20 minutes with the ball and finally turned over possession at the top of the Wycombe 25. Slick passing from Rich Pepperrell, Rob Walls and Che Armstrong left Callum Harjette a yard out for a tap in, 1-1. On several occasions Marlow could have added to the lead, exposing gaps in the home defence but without the end result.

Half time and this was a game for the taking, a confident determination to claim a promotion spot. The 2nd half was from the start a belief to get ahead. Gaz Baber should have put Marlow ahead having been set clear by Walls but lost control at the point of scoring, but immediately replaced by Callum Harjette the supersub made no mistake with a quality reverse stick finish to beat the Wycombe keeper.

With 15 minutes to go it could have been a nailbiter, however Marlow had a plan and didn't let Wycombe back in. Faced by desperate pressure at each opportunity Marlow kept the ball, won their tackles and resolutely didn't give a single chance away. Ben Dawson strode out of the back line and won every tackle, Ian Postings and Andy Parsons continued to keep the miserly defensive record intact, and Chris Burnett dropped back into the back line to keep throwing the ball over the Wycombe heads and make them retrieve and start again from their half. Afighting petformance by Peps and Jack Kelly gave the home side no chance of getting on top, but still the final whistle was welcome, ending a closely fought game that was a great advert for hockey!

Big thanks to the support today, Mums and Dads, ladies 5's, players on paternity watch, most of all big thanks tothe team - great game, great win, let's make sure we keep the spirit for Witney at Pound Lane on Saturday!